Yu Nancheng

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About the artwork

A traditional floral symbol of Yu's homeland, China, peonies are regarded as tokens of prosperity, good luck and fortune. In Yu's Peony series, the elegant compositional energy often found Chinese floral ink painting is skillfully fused with his practice off western oil, creating a style and technique that is unique to his work. Beautifully curled petals of the crimson flowers seem to naturally furl in on themselves with the three-dimensional depth created by the artist's expert use of impasto, blooming beautifully out from the flat surface. While created with the vigour and smear of the palette knife, these painted flowers seem rugged yet delicate, possessing vitality and liveliness against an otherwise smooth and dark canvas.

About the artist

Yu Nancheng, born in 1956 in Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, has made significant contributions to the art world over his 40+ year career. Currently based in Shanghai, his works have been exhibited extensively across China and internationally, with collections in the U.S., Germany, Switzerland, France, England, Japan, and various Middle Eastern countries. Yu's innovative use of palette knife application to create layered textures has transformed Chinese oil painting, blending traditional Chinese and Western techniques to define his distinctive style.